Alternative path
by False Premise
Summary: A small toying with the idea of Harry taking an alternative path in halfblood prince in how he responds to Draco. Warning: it is unfinished. I likely won't be following the alternative path all the way to the end. I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling is a goddess of writing.
1. Chapter 1

_**Harry takes an alternative path in the Halfblood Prince. What if Harry reacted differently to Malfoy? While the way Harry reacts in canon is character consistent I could see this reaction being character consistent too. **_

_**Warning: this story is unfinished and will likely remain so. It is a gentle toying with an alternative path that Harry could have taken. I likely won't be following the alternative path all the way to the end…**_

_**Writing in italics is directly from canon.**_

_A few days before the match against Ravenclaw, Harry found himself walking down to dinner alone from the common room, Ron having rushed off into a nearby bathroom to throw up yet again, and Herminone having dashed off to see Professor Vector about a mistake she thought she might have made in her last Arithmancy essay. More out of habit than anything, Harry made his usual detour along the seventh-floor corridor, checking the Marauder's Map as he went. For a moment he could not find Malfoy anywhere, and assumed he must indeed be inside the Room of Requirement again, but then he saw Malfoy's tiny, labelled dot standing in a boys' bathroom on the floor below, accompanied, not by Crabbe or Goyle, but by Moaning Myrtle. _

_Harry only stopped staring at this unlikely coupling when he walked right into a suit of armour. The loud crash brought him out of his reverie; hurrying from the scene lest Filch should turn up, he dashed down the marble staircase and along the passage way below. Outside the bathroom, he pressed his ear against the door. He couldn't hear anything._

Harry quickly pulled out his invisibility cloak. He'd gotten into the habit of carrying it with him for his regular attempts to get into the Room of Requirement. He slipped it on quickly and as quietly as possible pushed the door open and slipped inside.

_Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blond head bowed. _

"_Don't," crooned Moaning Myrtle's voice from one of the cubicles. "Don't...tell me what's wrong...I can help you..."_

"_No one can help me," said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it...I can't...it won't work...and unless I do it soon...he says he'll kill me..."_

_And Harry realised, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying – actually crying – tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. _

Malfoy gasped and gulped as he continued to splutter, "I don't want to do it...I don't even want to do it anymore...it is too horrible...but he...he...he's got my mum...he'll kill her..."

Harry went cold with shock and for a moment he felt like his mind just couldn't process what he saw and heard. The stark contrast between the Malfoy before him, helpless, crying, a victim and the sneering, arrogant prat he'd always known simply brought all thought to a grinding halt. Gradually his brain thawed and he began to process the information. Voldermort must have Malfoy's mum...whatever Malfoy is up to he's being blackmailed into it... For a moment Harry continued to feel repulsed by Malfoy clinging to the idea that he would never allow himself to be used in that way. Then he remembered all too vividly the horrible sense of desperation that had gripped him when he had thought Voldermort had Sirius. Malfoy must have been living with that same desperation for months. Could he really say he wouldn't have done something terrible to save Sirius? Of course, in a way he had done something awful. He'd put his friends in danger. He'd been reckless and Sirius had paid the price. Harry found himself, suddenly, knowing exactly what it felt like to be in Malfoy's shoes and it wasn't what he'd expected at all. Harry's perception of Malfoy shifted irrevocably. Malfoy needed help…

Malfoy continued to shake and splutter, "This isn't what I wanted...I didn't know...I...I...just want someone to make it all go away...but no one can help...oh, god, mum...please don't die, mum..."

Malfoy's cries echoed throughout the bathroom. From the absence of Moaning Myrtle's comments Harry figured she must have slipped around the S bend in a huff. So it was just Harry and Malfoy... For a moment Harry stayed rooted to the spot staring at this new, strangely human, Malfoy. He looked so vulnerable, so crushed, so desperate. Then, Harry sprung back into action. He crept back out of the bathroom, pulled off his cloak and prepared himself for what he had to do. Somehow, he had to get Malfoy to talk to him. He knocked on the door and called out as he pushed it open, "Hello? Is there anyone in here?"

As Harry pushed his way in he found Malfoy standing where he'd once been huddled. His eyes were still red and his pale face blotchy from crying but he'd carefully reformed his expression into the usual composed smirk, "Do you always announce your arrival before entering the school bathrooms, Potter?"

Harry ignored the barbed comment and swallowed nervously. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. Harry stepped forward, "Malfoy I'm glad it is you. Listen, it is a bit late I know but I wanted to offer you..." and Harry stepped forward holding out his right hand.

Malfoy stared at the hand incredulously his gray eyes narrowing, "What is that, Potter?"

Harry smiled widely, "My hand Malfoy..."

"Is this a joke or something, because I don't see..."

"You offered me your friendship once, remember? I didn't want your advice on the virtues of different Wizarding families so I rejected it. I still don't want the advice to be honest but I'd like the friendship." Harry replied.

Malfoy stared at the hand for a moment a flurry of contradicting thoughts passing over his face. After a time he seemed to settle into a reaction to Harry's gesture and it was anger. He was suddenly so angry it was as if he'd become unhinged. He pulled his wand furiously and pointed it at Harry's head screaming, "What the hell are you doing? Is this some kind of ridiculous trick because I have enough to deal with without your stupid games, Potter! Why would I want to be friends with your arrogant, prancing self anyway? Are you so stupid to think everyone loves you? Everyone wants to be friends with the great Harry Potter? Don't make me sick."

Harry kept very still and allowed Malfoy's rage to wash over him. This was exactly the reaction he had expected. Harry's wand hand twitched but he deliberately kept himself unarmed. If he pulled a wand now things would go from bad to worse very quickly. Harry could envisage clearly how it would unfold. If he pulled his wand Malfoy would throw a curse. Harry would defend himself, throwing another curse right back. It wouldn't matter who hit who they'd both come off the worse for it and Harry would never find out just what was really going on with Malfoy. He'd never help him. So Harry let his wand hand twitch and deliberately acted against all of his instincts. It was bizarrely like throwing off the imperious curse. Just as Harry was starting to wonder how he could break through Malfoy's rage and start to build some kind of trust Snape swept into the room looking greasy and bat-like.

"Malfoy and Potter, I see, what a surprise," Snape commented dryly, "Malfoy I can hear your dulcet tones halfway down the corridor and while I sympathise with your view please lower your wand."

Malfoy fixed Snape with a contemptuous glare and kept his wand raised, "Potter threatened me, sir"

Snape sighed ,"Which I will deal with but you must lower your wand, Draco," When Malfoy again delayed in acting Snape added in a firmer tone, "Now, Draco."

As Draco slowly lowered his wand Snape turned his attention to Harry his face twisting in malice, "Well, Potter, how did you threaten him?"

"I didn't threaten him," Harry replied forcing himself to keep his tone even and calm, "I offered him my friendship."

"Why would you want to be friends with me, Potter?" Malfoy screamed with venom.

"Draco, please keep your voice down," Snape sighed. Malfoy nodded and fell silent. Snape again turned to Harry, "Well, Potter, why would you want to be friends with Draco all of a sudden? The animosity between you two is obvious. Granger and Weasley become tiresome have they? Or are you simply determined to have every student in this school in your fan club?"

Harry swallowed down his anger at Snape's comments and kept an even tone as he replied, "I just think he needs a friend and, I guess, I've also realised he isn't as bad as I thought."

Malfoy looked shocked and confused by this comment. Snape opened his mouth to begin a long anti-Harry tirade but before he could begin his eyes met with Harry's green ones. For once, when looking at Harry he was forcibly reminded not of James but of Lily. Seeing Lily behind Harry's eyes awoke in Snape a bizarre idea. What if Harry was being sincere? Was there any harm throwing the two boys into a situation where a friendship was possible just in case? Snape's mind quickly ran through the possibilities and he concluded that the worst case scenario would be that Malfoy may teach Potter a lesson about interfering and the situation may create some bond between himself and Malfoy again. Something had to be done to get through to Draco... Maybe whatever Potter had planned could be used to get through to him?

Snape nodded to himself, "Well since you both created a disturbance you'll both have a detention tomorrow night. Find me in the staff room immediately after dinner tomorrow."

With one last evaluating glance at Harry Snape swept back out of the room and Harry and Malfoy were left staring at each other. Malfoy continued to look bewildered.

Eventually, Malfoy shook his head and pocketed his wand muttering, "I dunno what you're playing at, Potter but just cut it out."

"I mean it, you know" Harry replied, "I want to be your friend."

Malfoy shook his head again as he left the bathroom, his white-blonde hair dancing around his pale face, "You're mental, Potter."


	2. Chapter 2

Harry glanced over at the Sytherin table as he thoughtfully chewed his marmalade toast. Draco looked up from his own breakfast and his grey eyes found Harry's. Harry took the opportunity to break into a warm smile. Draco's eyes narrowed in irritation and he returned determinedly to looking at his own breakfast.

"Remind me again," Ron said as he watched the interaction, speaking roughly through mouthfuls of food, "Why you want to be friends with that prat?"

Hermione sighed, "Ron, Harry explained it all last night. Malfoy is being blackmailed into doing whatever it is he is doing. Harry is going to befriend him to try to figure out the situation. Then we can fix it, right Harry?"

Harry nodded still gazing thoughtfully at Draco.

"I still think there'd be a magical solution to getting Malfoy to trust you, Harry...There's probably a potion or something that..." Hermione continued until Harry cut her off.

"No, Hermione. I'm serious about trying to become friends with him. That's not a good way to start a friendship is it?"

"Ist gib ib glubstan..." Ron shouted still chewing.

Hermione gave Ron a disgusted look, "Ron, chew first, then speak."

Ron swallowed, "I said, that's the bit I don't understand. Why do you want to acutally become friends with him? Why not just use a potion, Hermione will figure that bit out, get the truth out of him and go to Dumbledore..."

Harry frowned and ran his fingers through his hair, "It's just that...I dunno...maybe if you'd actually seen him last night...he looked broken. Whatever it is Voldermort is trying to get him to do he really doesn't want to do it. What would it be like to grow up with your dad a deatheater pushing pureblood nonsense down your throat every chance he got? Look at Seamus last year. He's a decent bloke but he was a right tosser just because his mum didn't want to acknowledge that Voldermort was back. Maybe Malfoy could be different if he had the chance..."

Ron snorted sceptically at this and continued shovel in his breakfast. Hermione frowned, "Maybe, Harry...Just be careful. Maybe he would be different if he had the chance but maybe he is exactly as he has always seemed too."

Harry nodded.

_**Would Harry have been able to win Malfoy's friendship? If he had, how would the war have played out? If Harry had responded to Malfoy drawing on the best rather than the worst of himself would things ultimately have been for the better or for the worse?**_


End file.
